Daniel Danckwerts

Thesis title

Processes underlying the large-scale genetic structure of marine birds in the tropical western Indian Ocean

In combining numerous techniques to monitor seabird movement (ringing recoveries, stable isotopes, and GPS and GLS biologging) as well as techniques to investigate colony relatedness within species (nuclear DNA microsatellite sequencing, biometrics, and plumage characteristics), this comparative phylogeographic study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the isolation and connectivity of seabird populations in the western Indian Ocean. Three species will be studied, including the Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus), Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), and Barau’s Petrel (Pterodroma baraui), so to investigate common patterns and causes of genetic heterogeneities within species as well as suggesting links between life history and genetic structure.